Master of Public Health

How to Apply

The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences teaches students about the social, psychological and behavioral factors that interact with biological factors to influence health, illness and recovery. The impetus comes from the increasing recognition that behavioral, psychological, and social factors play a crucial role in epidemiology and public health, both as risk factors for adverse health outcomes and in strategies to promote health and prevent disease. For example, low socioeconomic status has been consistently linked to increased incidence of nearly every cause of illness and death, while behaviors, such as exercise and diet, have been found to contribute to cardiovascular diseases and cancers, and religious beliefs have been found to influence recovery from illness.

What are the program's areas of expertise?

Disease prevention

Health promotion

Social and behavioral interventions

Psychosocial epidemiology

What are the benefits of the Yale SBS program?

Combined SBS and epidemiology curriculum

Association with a leading academic medical center

Good faculty to student ratio

Small, individualized program

Outstanding faculty with diverse research and practical experience

Faculty with ties to Yale centers, including the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Program on Aging, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, Yale Cancer Center, Yale Child Study Center, and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

Access to the resources of a premier university, including the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Schools of Divinity, Forestry, Law, Management, Medicine and Nursing

Opportunities to conduct community-based public health research and practice in collaboration with investigators and public health practitioners at the New Haven and Connecticut Health Departments, Yale-New Haven Hospitals, research settings, community health centers and community-based organizations both domestically and abroad

Interactions with Public Health PhD students who are studying various social and behavioral sciences topics

Modal Title

How will my information be used?

When you express interest in a specific study, the information from your profile will be sent to the doctor conducting that study. If you're eligible to participate, you may be contacted by a nurse or study coordinator.

If you select a health category rather than a specific study, doctors who have active studies in that area may contact you to ask if you would like to participate.

In both cases, you will be contacted by the preferred method (email or phone) that you specified in your profile.